the art:

From the deep indigo of night, the haunting skeleton of a house is revealed only by the light of a blazing fire - pouring from its insides and out of every orifice it can make or find. In the foreground is a dingy yellow suitcase, seemingly empty, if it weren’t for the spectral image of what can only be described as the “life cycle of a cherry blossom” - suspended in a surreal display above the suitcase’s cavity. 

Although the fire screams for our attention, ironically, it’s the delicate projection of the cherry blossom which steals our glance. Her pale pinks and soft petals are in stark contrast to the rest of the scenery, a humble presence which asks nothing of us - and thus, we are drawn to her charm. She is the main character, her whole life displayed unapologetically before us, first as the young bud, plump with naïveté, a sealed chasm of possibility full of all potential. Then, she is the flower in full bloom - she brings joy and elation, sweet scents and soft seduction, pure and purposeful she is feminine, incarnate - laughing and lovely. Finally, our eyes meet her wilting future below, her limp form settles the viewer into a sense of inevitability, a kind of soothing sadness which we instinctively understand as the debt of a life well-lived. 

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the song:

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I wrote “Yellow Suitcase” as a college student back in 2008, after my first 'big breakup'. Though young love and collegiate era relationships may not always last, it still remains my most requested song by friends and fans to this very day. It’s a timeless tale really, sure to conjure up familiar feelings in anyone who has watched the fire of love slowly burn out from behind young and innocent eyes. “Yellow Suitcase” came from a place of personal anguish, yet the pain was part of the price I paid for the wisdom gained through the experience. Love was lost, yes - but a new pathway for my future was carved. For however blind I was to it at the time, the reality which followed and led to my “Now”, is the proof which allows me to still sing this song with passion and gratitude well into my 30’s. This self-remembrance is the meaning behind the Cherry Blossom in the visual depiction of the song. For a short while, my life became contained inside of an old yellow suitcase which I famously carted around and used as a merch stand at countless performances. While I obviously no longer believe that “people never change”,  it is true that I learned a valuable lesson about self worth. A lesson worth learning for Romantics and Pragmatists alike - when your whole world can go up into flames in the span of one evening, with one choice or in the sudden blink of an eye - truly knowing and loving oneself is the strongest defense against the most painful inevitabilities of life.